Fluid storage and dispensing carton



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INVENTOR SOLDAN A. SVE/VSSON BY QM ATTORNEY June 1, 1965 s. A. SVENSSON FLUID STORAGE AND DISPENSING CARTON 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 6, 1963 INVENTOR $01.04 A. SVEWSSO/V ATTORNEY June 1, 1965 s. A. svENssoN' FLUID STORAGE AND DISPENSING'CARTON 3 Sheets-Sheet 3' Filed Dec. 6, 1963 FIG. ll

QINVENTOR i' SOLDA/V A. SVENSSON BY I ATTORNEY United States Patent 3186621 FLUID STQRAGE Al ll) DISPENSING CARTON Soidan A. Svensson, Cincinnati, Ohio, assignor to Gulf States Paper Corporation, Tuscaloosa, Ala, a corporation of Delaware Filed Dec. 6, 1963, Ser. No. 328,565 1 Claim. (Cl. 229-17) This invention relates to a container structure foruse in the packaging of fluid materials and of the type generally formed of plastic-coated paper or paperboard, wherein a closure of the bellows fold type is provided, having a normally sealed pouring opening or mouth which, when open, provides a pouring throat. More'particul-arly, the invention consists in new and'useful improvements relating to the pouring throat, wherein a readily rupturable pouring opening is preformed in the container blank.

There are many containers of this general type on the market today, particularly in the form 'of milk cartons, and these conventional structures are usually sealed so tightly along the meeting edges of the bellows fold top closure that it is extremely difficult to break open the pouring portion and still leave a usable spout.

It is therefore the primary object of the present invention to provide a readily project'able and retractable pouring spout or throat which includes a removable tear strip defining the pouring opening.

Another object of the invention is to provide in the triangular underfolds of :a bellows fold type closure, readily rupturable, laterally offset weakened lines cut partially through the inner andouter surfaces respectively of-the blank which, when ruptured, provide a pr-ojectable and retractable pouring opening which is free of paper fragments and sealing material.

A further object of the invention is to provide a readily rupturable pouring opening and throat for a carton of this type formed by laterally offset, parallel 'weakenedflines respectively cut partially through the inner and router surfaces or plies of the blank, whereby, when in sealed condition, leakage through the cut-lines is prevented by their oifset and overlapping relationship.

With the above and other objects in viewwhich will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in the novel features herein set forth, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings in which numerals of like character designate similar parts throughout the several views:

FIG. l is a plan view of the inner surface of a blank from which the carton of the present invention is for-med;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the blankfolded in tubular form, but before the end closure flaps have been sealed;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the top closure of the carton in sealed condition;

FIG. 4 is a similar view showing the triangular underfolds of the top closure in spread position and illustrating one form of pouring opening tear strip;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4 illustrating the tear strip in the course of removal;

FIG. 6 is a view showing the tear strip removed and the pouring spout projected;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary plan view of the inner surface of the pouring spout opening of a blank, illustrating a modified form of tear strip;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary perspective view similar to FIG. 4, illustrating the modified form of tear strip before removal; 7

FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing the modified tear strip in the course of removal;

ddddfifi Patented June 1, 1965 "ice FIG. 10 is a view showing the modified pouring spout in projected position;

FIG. 11 illustrates a further modification of the cutlines of the pour spout; and

FIG. 12 is a view of this form inpouring condition. Referring to FIG. 1, the blank from which the carton of the present invention is formed isgenerally represented by the numeral 15 and consists of a conventional sheet of paper or paperboard of suitable character and thickness, prefer-ably coated on both sides with plastic .or the like.

The sheet 15 is divided by parallel score lines 1o, 17, i8

and 19 into rectangular panels 20, 21, 22 and 23, a securing flap 214 being formed along the edge of panel 20 adjacent the score line 16. A more or less conventional bottom closure arrangement is provided by end flaps Zila, 21a, 22a and 23a formed at the lower extremities of the respective panels. Converging diagonal score lines 25 in end flaps 21a and 23a provide a series of triangular underfolds to permit a bellows-type fold for the bottom of the carton, which, as will later appear, is retained in sealed and folded position by a sealing flap 26 formed on the lower edge of the bottom closure flap Zita. v

The opposite ends of the panels form top closure flaps 29b, 21b and 23b respectively, which, by means of diagonal score lines 27, .28 in flaps 26b and 22b and converging diagonal fold lines 29 and 30 in flaps 21b and 23b, are enabled to be folded into a conventional gable top closure, as will be-described later. The upper edges of top closure flaps 20b and 2212 are provided with coacting sealing flaps 20c and 220 respectively.

.The preferred form of pouring throat structure of the invention as it appears in the finished blank is embodied in the top closure flap 23b of panel 223. First, it may be noted that conventional paperboard of the type employed in the manufacture of these blanks normally comprises a number of plies, depending upon the thickness of the stock. In this preferred form of pouringthro at, the inner surface of flap 23b is provided with two parallel cut-lines 3 1 and 32 which extend transversely entirely across the flap. These lines are out only partially through the thickness of the stock, leaving the outer plies, adjacent the op posite surface of the stock, uncut. Similarly, the outer surface of the stock is provided with two parallel cutlines 33 and 34 which are laterally offset in outwardly spaced relation to the cut-lines 3d. and 32, as shown in dotted lines in FIG. 1. The outer surface cut-lines 33 and 34 likewise are cut only-through the outer plies of the stock, leaving the inner plies intact. A projecting tear strip tab 35 is provided at the extremity of the cut-line area just referred to for the purpose to be described.

' A lateral score line 36, extending entirely across the blank 15 and spaced inwardly from its upper extremity,

defines a heat sealing band 37 which, when the panels and top closure flaps are folded, enables the sealing of the top closure in gable form.

Reference to FIG. 2 will show a manner of folding the blank 15 into tubular form and, as here illustrated, the panels have been folded along their respective score lines and the longitudinal edge of panel 23 is sealed to the outer face of the sealing flap 24 to maintain the tubular shape. The bottom closure flaps 21a and 23a are folded inwardly on the diagonal score lines 25 and simultaneously the bottom closure flaps 20a and 22a are folded over the inwardly folded flaps 21a and 23a, in which position they are heat-sealed by means of the sealing flap 26 in the usual manner.

After the carton is filled, the top closure flaps are similarly folded and heat-sealed, that is, the triangular portions of closure flaps 21b and 23b are folded inwardly in. bellows fashion along their fold lines 29 and 36 respectively, and the rectangular closure flaps 20b and 22b are folded inwardly thereover in gable form as shown which-extend entirely across all of the folded flaps and V the top sealing flaps c and 22c are then heat-sealed to completely close the top of the carton.

In this folded and sealed oondition,'the rectangular closure flaps 20b and 2212 are inclined .in gableform, and at the pouring side of the. carton overhang the inwardly folded triangular portionsof thetop closure flap 2312 as seen inFIG. 3.' :In opening the carton for'pouring, the triangular, portions of :flap 23b .are spread. apart and simultaneously the rectangular flaps 20b and 2211 are spread outwardly therewith along diagonal fold lines 27 and 28 which more or less register with the converging fold lines 30 of flap 23b. With the closure flap 23b in spread form as shown in FIG. 4, the pull tab is grasped between the finger and thumb of the user and pulled outwardly as shown in FIG. 5. In so doing, .the outer plies 23d of the top flap are pulled away-from the inner plies 23e along cut-lines 33 and 34, and the inner plies still adhering to the outer plies are similarly pulled away along cut-lines 31 and 32 in the form of a composite tear strip which leaves a pouring opening 23c of a Width defined by the cut-lines 31 and 32.

Now, by pressing the outer edges of the flap 23b inwardly, the rectangular portions or underfolds of flap 23.1;

' folds may be refolded in the form shown in FIG; 3,

although without sealing.

The primary advantage of these offset cut-lines 31,.

32, 33 and 34 lies in the fact that in addition to providing a readily manipulatable pouring spout, they prevent leakage when the carton is in sealed condition. In other words, byonly cutting the stockpartially through its thickness from opposite sides thereof, and offsetting the partially cut lines, each cut-line is overlaid or underlaid by an'uncut portion of the stock;

A modified form of pour spout embodying the same general features is shown in FIGS. 7-10 inclusive. In this embodiment, the inner surface 'of the portion ofthe blank forming the top closureflap 23b is' provided with a single cut-line 40 as seen in FIG. 7, extending through the inner plies only of the stock. This single cut-line lies between and is parallel with cut-lines 33 and 34 on the outer side' of the blank, extending only through 'the outer plies. Otherwise, the structure is the same as that just described. A

In the use of this modified form, the triangular portions or underfolds of thetop closure flap 23b arespread as shown in FIG. 8, and by pulling the tab 35, the outer plies 23d are removed with the tear strip, exposing the cut-line 40; which extends only through the: inner plies 23a. 23b inwardly, the underfolds are projected forwardly to provide a pouring spout opening 230, formed by the cut-line 40. Here again, it is to be noted that the offset relationship of the cut-lines 33, 34 and 40 prevents leakage through the flap 23b, and, at thesame time, provides Then, by pressing the edges of the closure flap face of the closure flap 23b isprovided with a cut-line41,

. 4 outer plies' only :of the blank. When the triangular underfolds of the flap 23b .are unfolded into a common plane, pressure on the outer edges of the flap, as by squeezing, causes the stock of the blank to break along lines 41 and 42,- and continued squeezing causes the forward projection of the pouring throat as shown in FIG. 12.

Here .itwill'be seen that the projected portions of the flap have been pulled away from the. .inner plies 23c which remain attached to the sealed upper edge portions of the flap. 7

Here again, the laterally .olfset relation of'the cut-lines 41 and42 prevents leakage through the closure flap in the same manneraswith the embodiments previously described. a

From the foregoing, it is believed that the invention may be readily understood by those skilled in the art without further description, it being borne in mind that numerous changes maybe made in the details disclosed without departing from-the spirit of the invention asset forth in the following claim. e

I claim:

In .storage .and dispensing carton for fiuid materials formed from a blank of paperboard or the like, a top closure of gable form, comprising to flat, rectangular side flaps joined at opposite ends by bellows-type underfold flaps, the respective underfold flaps being scored along converging diagonal lines to define inter-foldable, triangular portions, said rectangular zflaps' and underfold flaps being jointly foldable in gable form with the triangular portions of the underfold flaps underlying the rectangular flaps and sealed across theirmeeting upper edges, the triangular portions of one ofsaid underfold flaps being unfoldable intoza common plane, a removable tear strip extending transversely acrosssaid' last-named triangular portions in downwardly spaced relation to their upper edges, Jsaid tear strip being defined by two parallel cut lines extending transversely across said. one underfold flap and cut'only partially through the thickness ofsaid blank from the outer surface thereofi'andv at least one parallel out line coincident withxsaid first-named: out line and laterally, inwardly offset with *respect thereto, vsaid lastnamed out line extending only partially through the thickness of saidblank from its inner surface, and a'tear strip tab integral with one longitudinal extremity of said tear strip, projecting beyond the, adjacent boundary of its respective triangular portion, and upon removal of said tear strip, the unfolded triangular underfolds are released and are projectable to form a pouring throat.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS FRANKLIN T. GARRETT, Primary Examiner. 

